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The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics was a “complete failure,” on behalf of the international community, Democratic strategist Kevin Walling said Sunday, pointing to the historically low viewership as proof of widespread disproval over the Beijing-hosted event.
“I think it was a complete failure on behalf of the international community, specifically the IOC [International Olympic Committee] to even have the games in China,” Walling told Fox News host Mike Emanuel.
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China has faced immense criticism for its human rights abuses against the Uyghur population in the Xinjian region. The Biden administration announced in December a diplomatic boycott of the Olympics due to China’s “ongoing genocide, crimes against humanity, and other human rights abuses.” Several other like-minded democracies have joined the U.S. in not sending political delegations as part of stated or unstated diplomatic boycotts of the Winter Games.
Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng lights the torch before the start of the torch relay for the 2022 Winter Olympics at the Olympic Forest Park in Beijing on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022.
(AP Photo/Sam McNeil)
The International Olympic Committee maintained that it was neutral on political issues and that the Olympics are “about and for the athletes,” but Walling said their decision to look the other way from “genocide active in the country” is a disgrace to the global community.
“The fact that this took place during a genocide active in the country against ethnic Uighurs was a disgrace,” he emphasized. “And I think that’s one of the reasons why you saw the numbers of American viewers, for example, plummet as compared to previous games.”
FILE – United States’ Chloe Kim celebrates during the venue ceremony for the women’s halfpipe at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China.
(AP Photo/Francisco Seco,…
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